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Editing DDS textures

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CategoryEditor
Created24.12.2016 22:10


Gerrit Geldenhuys (masepoes) 24.12.2016 22:16
I'm trying to edit the terrain textures but cannot find a working combination for saving the file. Should it be DXT 1,3, or 5 and which preview options should I select. I'm using Photoshop CS6 with the Nvidia dds Format v8.23b plugin. Any help please...

James Norred (Cajunwolf) 25.12.2016 22:49
Your actually using all three depending on which image it is, and I don't remember off hand which is which but there is a thread on one of the forums, either Giants Software forums or FS-UK forums, but I need that information too, and as soon as I find it i'll post back.

Gerrit Geldenhuys (masepoes) 26.12.2016 17:58
Hi, it's the mountainRock_diffuse texture. I've also tried saving it in DXTBMP in all possible DXT formats but it just keeps crashing the game and editor. DXTBMP actually recognizes it as a DXT5. For some reason paint.NET won't install on my PC. I managed to edit most all textures in FS15 but something has changed in FS17.

James Norred (Cajunwolf) 26.12.2016 20:52
All of the main diffuse are DXT5 I'm pretty sure.

Gerrit Geldenhuys (masepoes) 27.12.2016 11:25
Cajunwolf, have you been able to successfully edited a terrain texture ?
I've tried DTX5 in all possible ways. With and without MIPs. With and without Alpha blending and every combination possible. I know there is something I'm missing. There is a snow map out there for which the modder must have been able to edit the terrain textures. I cannot help but think that those who have been successful are laughing their asses of at the rest of us. This use to be so easy in previous versions.

James Norred (Cajunwolf) 28.12.2016 04:48
Like you I've done FS15, but not 17, yet. I'm signed up on the main Giants Software forums as well as FS-UK (which tend to have more information), and I'm going to carefully compose questions for this in both places and see what comes up because I want to be able to change my textures. Someone will have the answer.

Gerrit Geldenhuys (masepoes) 28.12.2016 13:53
That sounds great.

Gerrit Geldenhuys (masepoes) 29.12.2016 09:58
After many days of tinkering with this I finally got it to work. I can only help those using photoshop with the Nvidia DDS plugin. The error I made was so simple yet so important.

Once you have opened the image in photoshop you need to do your editing.
Then on the layers/channels/paths panel select the channels tab and make sure the Alpha channel is active by clicking in the box to show the little eye.
Go back to layers and make sure to flatten the image so you have only one layer. You should see your texture with the red Alpha channel over it.

Now go to SAVE AS and make sure the ALPHA CHANNELS is selected in the save option area. Click SAVE to bring up the NVIDIA dds format window. Select DXT5 interpolated alpha and click the GENERATE MIP MAPS tab. Hit save and viola, it works.

My error was that I never activated the Alpha channel in the channel panel.

Gerrit Geldenhuys (masepoes) 29.12.2016 09:58
After many days of tinkering with this I finally got it to work. I can only help those using photoshop with the Nvidia DDS plugin. The error I made was so simple yet so important.

Once you have opened the image in photoshop you need to do your editing.
Then on the layers/channels/paths panel select the channels tab and make sure the Alpha channel is active by clicking in the box to show the little eye.
Go back to layers and make sure to flatten the image so you have only one layer. You should see your texture with the red Alpha channel over it.

Now go to SAVE AS and make sure the ALPHA CHANNELS is selected in the save option area. Click SAVE to bring up the NVIDIA dds format window. Select DXT5 interpolated alpha and click the GENERATE MIP MAPS tab. Hit save and viola, it works.

My error was that I never activated the Alpha channel in the channel panel.

James Norred (Cajunwolf) 31.12.2016 02:49
Great news Gerrit, and I have PS with the Nvidia DDS plug in so this is most helpful, because like you I could find no one to help me either.


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